LAB Open 2023

[Stu's Brews]

I'm in for 2. Not sure what yet, almost certainly an IPA and something different.

 

[Deadhead]

In for 2

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Thanks for the heads up @Hazelwood Brewery, looks like this will fill up quickly. 2 for me, a weissbier and a mixed style beer

Places are certainly going fast 66/300 in the first 50 mins.

 

[JockyBrewer]

Is it open to anyone?

Yes. Please enter, it's a great way to get feedback from people that are trained and qualified beer judges (or we've assessed as having an equivalent level of sensory feedback ability), and you might even win something!

 

[JockyBrewer]

Just as a heads up for everyone, entering will get you:

Two feedback sheets (per beer) that will usually be from a trained and qualified beer judge, or from someone with professional experience that we have checked can provide an equivalent level of feedback quality. I'm handling the scoresheet scanning and will usually get it out the day after results are announced.

You also entry to the festival on the afternoon of Sunday 14th May, with a souvenir tasting glass (we try and have enough for everyone, but it's first come first served), where every single entered beer will be available to taste, and finishes up with the winners announcements and prize giving. It's the biggest home brew tasting you can go to in the UK and a real party atmosphere. Really highly recommended.

Enter here: LAB Open 2023


As an aside, if you're interested in how a competition runs, we also need non-judges to help across Friday/Saturday/Sunday. You don't need any experience, and it's whatever time you can spare. You'll be helping take entries to the judges. It's an invaluable chance to try some of the entries alongside the judges and hear how their feedback relates to what you're tasting. If this sounds good, please register on the website as a Steward (Register as a Steward).

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

One more post to bring this to the top of the list in case anyone missed it last night.

210 of the available 300 entries have gone in the first 24 hours. If you’ve been thinking about taking part, give it a go, you’ll be hooked!

Don’t leave it too long. Tick. Tick.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Heads up!

Looks like LAB will be making more entries available from Wednesday this week and will then allow 3 entries per person from next weekend if all the places have not been taken up.

This will actually be on Friday 24th at about 5pm.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Another 50 entries have just been added this evening.

45 spaces currently available.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I've added another beer and paid up

So looking forward to a score - any score, not bothered what!

20 spaces left as of right now.

 

[Alastair70]

I’d sworn off comps for a while, then I went and entered Brew Like A Monk. Damn you all, my spider senses are tingling again….

 

[Dilettante Brewing]

Has anyone else been able to add a third beer? There are still places showing as being available but I’m still limited to two entries when I log in.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I had it in my calendar to send my entries to this on Friday 5th May but looking at the comp website now it seems they were accepting only to 28th April! Have I missed this?

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I had it in my calendar to send my entries to this on Friday 5th May but looking at the comp website now it seems they were accepting only to 28th April! Have I missed this?

No you haven't. They said they were altering the website for a different reason as it's now locked, can't remember what, but the deadline is still the same.

Edit: - just checked, it's due to a quirk in the software that they had to change the dates on website, but they stated in the email they sent to ignore it.

 

[Stu's Brews]

Regarding shipping, this is what was in the last e-mail I received:

2. Shipping and Drop-off

• ***Please ignore the shipping and drop-off window on the competition site from this point onwards.*** Due to a quirk in the software, the only way we can lock entries against further editing (see point 1) is to change the close date of the shipping and drop-off windows to a date in the past. For this reason these have now been set to 21-28 April. This is not the actual shipping/drop-off window.
• The actual shipping / drop-off window remains Friday 5th May - Thursday 11th May, 6:00pm.
• Entries can be sent by Royal Mail, couriered, or hand delivered to Hammerton during office/taproom opening hours.
• All entries must arrive by Thursday 11th May 6:00pm**. This is particularly important this year as due to planned rail strikes on 12/13 May, we may need to judge 1-2 tables on the evening of Thursday 11th May
• **For judges/competition staff judging/helping on Friday only, you can bring your entries on Friday 12 May by 6:00pm but you must email to inform me by Tuesday 9 May if you plan to do this or risk your beer not being judged (see previous point)
• The competition site contains an ‘entry received’ marker. You should ignore this/any changes to it to your entries. How the competition software is build vs. how we run the competition means that at a certain point we mark all entries as received, whether this is the case or not.
• Entrants living outside the UK should refer to my email sent several weeks ago for alternative shipping option for international entries.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

Ah, thank you both. Yes, I remember now. Thought I was going to have to drink them myself

 

[Deadhead]

That's my beers away. Shaken and stirred on their way there, no doubt.

 

[Deadhead]

Hopefully folks are getting their beers delivered okay. Mine left the Highlands on Friday next day delivery, but didn't get there until today. Think all the weekend things and bank holiday held them up. At least they were delivered upright this time!

 

[SMP Brewery]

I decided at the very last minute to enter one, this will be my first time entering so I’ll be interested to see the feedback.
Sent 2nd class Friday and they too have arrived today.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Just posted my beers. I wouldn’t normally leave it so late but the posting window coincided with a busy few days. Hopefully they will be there tomorrow.

 

[Stu's Brews]

Mine are due to arrive today - have been nervously watching the tracking having also left it fairly late to post (yesterday), partly due to a busy few days and partly to help ensure the beers are as fresh as possible! Didn't have @Hazelwood Brewery's bravery to leave it until today though!